17 November 2020

Homilies

Homily for the 8 o’clock Mass, Sunday 33A, 15 November 2020, Matthew 25:14-30

17 November 2020

Homilies

A talent in the ancient world was a huge sum of money. I suppose in our terms it would be worth millions, maybe even billions of pounds. And that’s appropriate for the parable, because in the Christian life the Lord endows all of us with…

Pluscarden Abbey

12 October 2020

Homilies

Homily for the 8 o’clock Mass, Sunday 28A, 11 October 2020: Phil 4:12-14,19-20

Pluscarden Abbey

12 October 2020

Homilies

In today’s reading from Philippians, St. Paul in prison expresses his gratitude for a financial gift recently received. Without it he would have faced severe hardship; perhaps even starvation. He knows that the Philippian Christians themselves are…

Pluscarden Abbey

5 October 2020

Homilies

Homily for Sunday 27A, 4 October 2020: Philippians 4:6-9

Pluscarden Abbey

5 October 2020

Homilies

Worry, says St. Paul, in today’s second reading, or be anxious, about nothing. Paul is writing to the Philippians: to people he knows, and loves, and trusts. He is beginning to wind up his letter, and he wants to leave them with a strong message to remember and…

Pluscarden Abbey

28 July 2020

Homilies

Homily for Sunday 17A, 26 July 2020, Romans 8:28-30

Pluscarden Abbey

28 July 2020

Homilies

Of all St. Paul’s Letters, Romans is the longest, richest, densest, most difficult, most rewarding, most challenging, most perplexing, most commented on, most thoroughly Jewish, most obscurely Rabbinical, most radically universal in its all-embracing…

Pluscarden Abbey

29 June 2020

Homilies

Homily for the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul, 28 June 2020: Matthew 16:13-19

Pluscarden Abbey

29 June 2020

Homilies

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, according to St. Matthew, Jesus speaks of a wise man who built his house on rock. Rain came, floods rose, gales blew, and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall (7:25). Now today we hear him speaking of…

Pluscarden Abbey

12 April 2020

Homilies

Homily for Easter Day, 12 April 2020

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12 April 2020

Homilies

“Well, Master Samwise, how do you feel?” said Gandalf. But Sam lay back, and stared with open mouth, and for a moment, between bewilderment and joy, he could not answer. At last…

Pluscarden Abbey

12 April 2020

Homilies

Homily for the Easter Vigil, 11 April 2020

Pluscarden Abbey

12 April 2020

Homilies

After the worst possible thing: the best possible thing. No: better even than that. Far, far better. Still each year when we keep this Vigil, the newness of it, the magnitude of it, catches us as if in the throat. The explosion of new life. No, better than just…

Pluscarden Abbey

4 July 2018

Homilies

Homily for SS. Peter & Paul, 29 June 2018, Matthew 16:13-19

Pluscarden Abbey

4 July 2018

Homilies

Joseph Ratzinger, commenting on this passage, observes that our canonical Greek text must derive from an Aramaic original. There is a direct citation of Aramaic in the name “Simon Bar-Jonah”. There are also typical Aramaic…